Lawyer Bob Aaron opines on the Supreme Court of Canada's 7-9 decision that court evidence introduced based on a warrantless police search was permissible, the Toronto Star reports. The case involved a suspected marijuana home-grow operation. Calgary police, upon suspicion, asked the home's utility supplier to install a home-energy monitor without a warrant. The information was used in court to convict the home owner after police obtained a search warrant and seized significant amounts of marijuana and related grow-operation items. As smart meters that record home energy usage are increasingly installed in Canadian homes, Aaron writes, "police in this country can't simply go and seize electrical readings from local hydro suppliers."
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